Clockwork
by silenthorror
Summary: The first installment takes place after the apocalypse in 2018. The future is in Emma's hands
1. 1

**Emma- Nicola Peltz  
Matt-Sam Harwood**

_Clockwork~_

_Let me tell you a story. A story of one girl's will to survive. London, 2018, P.A. (Post Apocalypse) _

_A dim lit fire popped and sizzled the hanging meat. A young female, aged 17, was sitting; staring at the fatty parts of the slowly cooking rabbit. Only a year ago, Emma sat at home; enjoying a home cooked meal that was fresh form the oven. Bread, peas, and the occasional pork chop. The Apocalypse ended that lighthearted feeling. It started at small schools, spreading to the Hospitals, Stores and eventually; The world was in mass panic. She remembered the day...Her family drug her out of her History Class and fled to Wembly Stadium, There, an evacuation was being held; taking people to FOB's (Forward Operating Bases) But sadly, the helicopter didn't make it to the FOB and Emma was left, stranded on the outskirts of Manchester. She went to the only place she knew, Home. She headed for the Highway. Empty, lifeless; There was literally no human soul on the road. She walked under the large light poles, passed the Wind Turbines and stopped at a gas station for some food. She pushed open the glass door and listened to the bell ring. :DING: that's all she heard. No music, No kind face to greet her. She snapped back to reality suddenly. She was lonely; staring at that dim fire that beckoned her soul. Everyday life was altered and her hope was slowly fading away. Emma slid down until her back hit the soft, warm, sheets of her sleeping bag. "Good night" She said, closing her bright blue eyes. Her dreams conjured up pictures of death and burning bodies. The charred flesh made her nose cringe. As her flashbacks continued, they took her to an old memory of her mother; reading a book to young Emma. "Night, Night. Sleep tight Emma" Her mother planted a kiss on her forehead and made her way out of the pink room. Shutting off the light; she peeked through the crack and blew her one last kiss._

_Emma awoke to the bright sun peering through her eyelids. She rolled over, pushed her self up onto her knees and looked out into the distant forest boundaries, past the last tree was a road, a long road, a road that might lead her home. _


	2. 2

**Emma- Nicola Peltz  
Matt-Sam Harwood**

_Clockwork~_

_The orange circle blinded Emma as her eyes slowly opened. She gathered her bags, snugged the empty water container into the small net casing on the side and threw on her jacket. The bitter cold sliced at her skin like a pool full of razors, all she could do was tremble and pray for someplace warmer. All Emma needed to do was get to the tree line and hope for a road to lead her to civilization. Back in her hometown, a lady down the street would always stop at her house and give her delicious chocolate chip cookies, sometimes a smoking hot casserole. She tied up her curly blonde hair and made sure her ears were exposed so she could hear any snapping twigs that weren't hers. She normally would wake up and do her daily routine. Emma was so used to it, she didn't know what she was doing until her fingers bled from the constant bullet making. But today was different, She didn't care; she just wanted to get somewhere safe. Nowhere is safe, only safer; a rule she always followed, she'd normally stay in an area for at least three days, but she made an exception this time...she stayed for five days. Emma slipped her feet into the comfortable, warn leather boots, stomped out the fire, collected her weapons and headed off into the woods. She had to stay alert for plagued scavengers, normally known as Breeders. The decorations of the leaves fell contently on her boots, they were wet, green and orange. The leaves are like constellations, just stuck to brown trees and very, very close to the Earth. Emma wandered about the forest floor, looking for eatable berries and anything to capture water. Moss... She could use the moss to filter water, make it drinkable. She pulled some wet moss from the bottom of a tall oak tree and squeezed the droplets of water into her small yellow drinking container. The bliss of drinkable water whispered between her dried lips. :DRINK: Her mind told her. :DRINK IT ALL:  
But she couldn't...She needed to conserve the only water she had. _

_Twigs crunched under her boots and the underbrush blew in the wind. She leaned up against a tall tree and took in a deep breath. She could see the cloud of exposed breath in the bitter cold. What was she doing? wandering the woods, looking for a road, how would she find civilization if she was stuck in the woods? That's just it...she didn't think she was gonna find the road, find the way out. Emma sat down and remembered the day the Tsunami hit London. No one would've thought that a huge wave would wipe out London's Tall Big Ben and the world's finest, the London Eye. After the water receded; London was gone, forever. Manchester was fire bombed from the outbreak of the Plague. Nothing was normal now, nothing was the same...It'll never be the same. She snapped back to reality and started walking back towards the road. She pulled out a picture from her back, it was a picture of her boyfriend Matt, She hoped and prayed that he was still alive. He was caught in the Tsunami and she never heard from him again. Emma needed someone, she needed a friend; the loneliness was getting to her. At night, she'd wake up screaming for Matt...She knew he wasn't there, he'd never be there again. She missed the warm summer nights at the beach with her boyfriend, watching fireworks, relaxing her head on his chest. She finally found the road, it was a great accomplishment for her. She stepped onto the asphalt and stretched a smile across her face. _


	3. 3

**Emma- Nicola Peltz  
Matt-Sam Harwood**

_Clockwork~_

_Emma missed the sound of the animals rustling in the woods, making beds in leaves, oh how she missed the people of London, she missed her father, her mother, her baby sister and...Matt. She knew nothing was going to be the same even if the world went back to normal. Earth would still be scarred by idiocy of humans and once again there'd be war...Nuclear war. Was it Nuclear war that caused the Apocalypse? No one really knows...Well no one is alive to tell the story. There had to be Military bunkers somewhere. Military dinning on warm fresh bread, roast beef, green beans, Chinese noodles. The thought of food made Emma's stomach growl intensely. She rubbed her diaphragm "Hush you fool... We'll get food soon"  
She went about her business, collecting berries along the side of the road. Raspberries, Mmmm... Her favorite. She enjoyed eating Raspberries, but they weren't better than raisins. She loved the bitter taste of the chewy candies. She stopped at a large sign that read :London, 7: She was seven miles from her hometown. London...That's where she wanted to be, she hadn't been there since the Tsunami, she didn't even know if London was still there, if it was still on the map. She was hoping there might be some people, refugees. She knew that was fiction and she chuckled to herself.  
"Why am I even trying?" She asked herself. She shook off the question and started on her journey once more. Was there a London left to go to? or was it just rubble? she honestly didn't know, and she knew how dangerous this journey was. Returning home could be death for her. What if Breeders decided to make a camp here, in the middle of London? Emma wanted to be safe, not screwed in this situation. She had weapons, some food. She could kill them, or give them her last bit of food. One touch from a Breeder could mean death, or Plagued and she wasn't looking forward to that.  
_

_Her legs moved in swift motions as she ran down the highway that led straight into London. The smell of salt water filled her nose. She heaved at the intense smell of water mixed with death. It was disgusting. The roads were filled with water up to her knees. No one could of survived the waves, not her family, not Matt, not anyone. As she walked through the water, she examined the floating bodies, some family, some friends, some strangers. She recognized a body. It was the old lady that would give her food. Emma jumped back at the sight, her hands clasped against her mouth. "Oh..Mrs. Algad" She looked at her with sorrow, a woman that treated Emma like a granddaughter was dead, right in front of her.  
Emma finally made it to her two story home that she once lived in. The key was always in the same place, laying on top of the wooden panel above the door. In Emma's surprise, it wasn't there...It was in the doorknob, twisted in the unlocked motion. She cautiously pushed open the door and peeked her head inside. "Hello?" She asked. "Mum, Dad...Abby?" No replies. "Matt?" Still nothing. She made her way upstairs, her bedroom door was cracked, she could see sunlight peering out of her dolphin curtains. She opened the door and seen the man in her bed. He was cuddled up with one her stuffed animals and wrapped in her blue blanket that draped over the sides. She recognized him. "Matt" She said softly, not wanting to wake him. For hours she sat, watching him sleep until he finally awoken. His eyes filled with tears as looked into the soul of Emma. He jumped from the bed and pulled her into a warm embrace.  
"Emma" He said, whispering in her ear "I missed you"  
Tears ran down her face, hitting her jeans and eventually soaking the one spot. "Matt...I've been searching everywhere for you...It's been a year"  
Matt couldn't let go of her. Finally they both felt whole again._

_Emma examined Matt, he had a large wound on his leg. "Matt!" "I know" He replied. "It's okay"  
Matt pulled her in for a kiss but she backed away. "Matt, we need to get you help" He chuckled. "Emma, there isn't any help"  
She unzipped her bag and pulled out the first-aid kit. "If no one else can help...I will" Emma opened the box and pulled out the bandages. She wrapped them around his leg and headed for the door. "Emma?", She sighed. "As much as I wan't to stay...I have to go...Matt, I love you but, my mind is at ease...I need to go, be on my own", Matt got back into her bed and curled up into her blanket. "Good bye Em", She walked out of the door and down the white wooden stairs. Emma grabbed some food and water and headed out the front door. "Good bye Matt" She looked back at the house and stepped back into the large death pool that was once London._


	4. 4

**Emma- Nicola Peltz**

_Clockwork~_

_Upon__ the horizon; the sun boiled the marshy yellow water. The crystal blue bliss of the open ocean clashed with the murky water, making a beautiful boundary of colors. Emma got closer and closer to Big Ben; as the water got deeper, her mind got duller. She wasn't thinking about Matt...Was that a bad thing? what was her mind doing to her?  
She felt loneliness, then peace. Matt was okay. The water slowly eased up to her elbows, Uck. What was in this water, bodies...steel...blood...wood...anything and everything was mischievously placed to where Emma's legs would be shredded up. With agonizing steps, she entered the tower and slid down the wall until she hit the soft wood floor. One wrong move and Emma fell through the wall, back facing towards the water. She splashed into the muck and got tangled up in vines and at one point, she felt a sharp stick poke into her thigh. She flung herself loose and bobbed up from the water; she screamed, taking in a large breath. She examined her body for and serious injuries, none that she could see. "Disgusting!" She said in her tough as nails British accent. She headed for home, she needed new clothing. Once again, she walked through her door, up the stairs and into her room. Matt...he was sitting up in her bed, convulsing, his eyes rolled back in his head, foam dripping out of his mouth. Was he infected with the Plague? Emma never seen a human turn, only a dog...her dog.  
She pushed herself against the wall and slowly inched her way towards the closet. She pulled a few clothes off of the hangers and stuffed them into her waterproof bag. Matt instantly jumped up from the bed and peered into Emma's eyes. The Plague was in him. She ran through the hall and into her parents room. She slammed the door shut and locked it. In a fritz, she stepped on a piece of soft wood and fell through the floor and slammed against the bright brown pinewood. It took her a few minutes to regain her balance. One she did, Emma was disoriented; she grabbed her head in pain and shook off the throbbing annoyance. _

_She made her way outside...Just her luck; It was raining. "More water" She said, huffing. The water that filled the streets emptied out into her yard, bodies began gathering in one spot and the smell made Emma puke in disgust. A hissing sound broke through the rain drops, more like a crashing sound actually, and It was getting closer to her. A wave... A wave of extreme terror and hell followed closely behind It. She couldn't take the water, It'd just slow her down. She made her way through the yards of many homes, her goal was to reach the highway as fast as she could. The water drowned out Big Ben and eventually her home; Matt was dead for sure. :THIS WAS A MISTAKE!: Her brain screamed at her.  
:WHY WOULD YOU COME BACK HERE?!:  
She hopped over chipped white picket fences and splashed her boots against the muddy Earth. Her legs sliced through the air, her heart pounded in her head...Her death was near... Until she finally made it to the tallest point of the highway. She looked up towards the sky and let the rain draw patterns on her worn skin. There it was, the wave coming right for her. Emma hunkered down behind the small wall and let the first wave hit with full force. She felt the highway crack and start to lean inward towards the ground. Her eyes widened at the large tower that was being drug along with the second wave...Big Ben was heading at her, she had to move or face her destruction..._


	5. 5

**Emma- Nicola Peltz**

_Clockwork~_

_Emma finally moved out of the way. The highway obliterated behind her. :THAT WAS CLOSE!: Her brain screamed.  
:YOU IDIOT...YOU FOOL...WHY?:  
All her hard work, all her walking, all her searching for basically nothing. Her palms were sweaty, but cold; can anyone help her? could she do all this on her own? Her body told her to give up but her mind pounded against her skull, telling her to move, telling Emma that she needs to find Civilization before she parishes. She fell to the ground and held her head in pain; images flashed through her head. Cole? who's Cole? Emma didn't know a Cole.  
:FIND COLE. HE'LL GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOUR LOOKING FOR!:  
Where exactly is this Cole guy?... How would Emma find him? Her brain began hurting once more.  
:YOU'LL FIND COLE AT THE SANCTUARY IN MANCHESTER:  
The Sanctuary was a small fortified village where refugees flourished. She stood and made her way down the road. A two day trip told her that food was necessary and she had to light on her feet, too much bagging and she'd definitely be tired by the eighth mile. She picked some Raspberries, That seemed to be the only Berry growing now. Emma realized that this trip might be useless, this Cole guy might be dead, or the village might be ridden with the plague. The thought ran so fast across her mind, she could barely grasp reality. Why is it so hard to survive? why is it so hard to adapt? she couldn't find the answers...Wait...what was this thing that Emma had, was it a power? Cole will tell her the answers, she knew that for sure.  
_

_Five hours later... Emma was exhausted, her legs were tired, her face was pale, flushed with lack of sleep, food, water. She finally collapsed. "Mother, Father...Take me away from here" She sprawled out on the road, her left hand slammed against her stomach. "I know...I can feel the emptiness...Stop rumbling, just wait for our immanent death"  
Emma closed her eyes and pictured bright red roses, a field of colors, like a rainbow. A yell made her eyes open and her pupils sink inward. She shakily pushed herself up to her feet; her stomach in pain, her head throbbing, her legs weak. She made her way to the edge of the woods. "H-Hello?" She asked, peering into the woods, there was nothing; nothing but the wind whispering through the trees. She looked farther in, a growl...not from a dog, but from something bigger...A wolf, hungry and filled with the Plague. Emma was too weak to fight. She got her fully automatic pistol from the small brown holster on her leg and aimed it at the wolf, it's red eyes looked deep into her soul, it smelled her fear and it was not going to hold back. The wolf dug it's sharp jagged teeth into Emma's leg, she screamed and fired at the beast. "No...No, I can't die...I can't get the plague...No!"  
She fell to the ground, her eyes slowly closed and she took one last breath...one last smell of the plants...one last feel of the asphalt..._


	6. 6

**Emma- Nicola Peltz**

_Clockwork~_

_Emma's bright blue eyes opened suddenly. She felt a jolt of pain throughout her body but then ceased. She wasn't dead, she wasn't infected with the Plague, she knew for sure that she immune. The wolf lie dead a few inches in front of her and the gaping wound on Emma's leg had stopped bleeding. She was still weak and the tenderness of her skin hurt to the slightest touch. Emma knew she couldn't continue the journey without some sort of transportation, but where was a car when she needed one the most? The answer to that was heading down the road, slowing to a stop beside her. The passenger side door opened and a lady appeared, she was in her mid 60's.  
"Young lady are you okay?"  
:NO YOU OAF...I'M NOT OKAY!: Her brain told her to scream it out but Emma kept it contained and pulled herself up into the car. "I'm Fine" she replied. "I'm looking for the Sanctuary"  
The old lady smiled. "Good thing I stopped by. I'm headed there at this very moment; Names Rose by the way"  
"Emma..."  
Rose took Emma's hand and shook it with a kind smile across the wrinkles on her face. Her eyes trailed downward to Emma's wound.  
"You infected?" Rose asked calmly, her grip got tighter.  
"No...I'm not...I'm just looking for Cole, please help me"  
Rose could see the sorrow in her eyes; she could tell that Emma had been through more than any teenager should endure.  
"I've got food in the back seat, eat up...you could use it"  
Emma took in a sigh of relief and grabbed a small bag of chips, oranges, beans and a bottle of the finest water in Britain. For once in a very long time...she was full, and now it was time to get a good nights rest. She laid her head against the window and closed her eyes. She thought of the time her parents took her to see the Rainbow Fields. Vibrant colors danced in the open space, it seemed as if the flowers were free, free to do anything they wanted. The bright sun would hit the soft swirly flowers and cast an aurora of colorful lights.  
Emma awoke  
Rose looked towards her and pointed at the sign they had just traveled under. "Only 15 miles left Emma"  
Emma smiled, she was finally going to get the answers she desired. What caused the Plague? What is this weird power she had? What caused the Tsunami's that completely destroyed London? All of those would be answered or try to be answered.  
_

_Emma could smell the dampness of Manchester, it always had that smell...it brought a distastefulness joy to her nose.  
Rose took in a deep breath.  
"You don't say much do you?" She asked.  
"What is there to say?" Emma replied. "You could say...'the weather is nice' or um 'thanks for the ride'"  
Emma chuckled. "The weather sucks and thanks for the ride" she turned back around and gazed out the window.  
"So, who is this Cole guy your looking for?" Rose concentrated her eyes at the black asphalt and moved her lips at the same time.  
"I dunno...My mind told me to go looking for him...he'd have the answers"  
Rose looked at Emma confused. "Your mind told you?" Rose asked suspiciously.  
"Yeah... I don't know what it is, or how it works...I can see things. People, the past, the present"  
Rose knew exactly what Emma was... A mind shifter.  
_


	7. 7

**Emma- Nicola Peltz**

_Clockwork~_

_Mind shifters could preform almost anything with their mind. Retrieve past memories from people, see people, they could even control the elements. But when the Plague hit, the mind shifters went extinct and the ones that lived were hunted down and murdered.  
"I'm sure Cole will have the answers your looking for" Rose tightened her grip on steering wheel.  
"Hopefully" Emma replied.  
"Do you know what a mind shifter is, Emma?"  
"My mother told me once about them, that their mind is precious and valuable"  
Rose shook her head in agreement.  
"That is true..."  
Emma realized...She's one. Just then, a wolf appeared in front of Rose's car; she swung the steering wheel around, making the car spin and crash into a tree. Rose was passed out. Emma flung herself out of the car and landed on the solid ground. The wolf and Emma made direct eye contact, she struggled to her feet and tripped into an open space in the forest.  
The wolf smirked at her, revealing it's top row of sharp teeth. Emma's ankles drug out from underneath her, by what seemed to be vines. The wrapped around her arms and neck. She couldn't move; the wolf stood over her. Emma closed her eyes and prepared for death.  
"You're going to die today"  
She opened her eyes back up and looked at the wolf in horror. It just talked to her...in a demonic voice.  
It's head turned 360 and stopped when it got to Emma's face. It opened it's mouth and vomited blood all over her face. She couldn't move, or scream, she kept her eyes and mouth closed as it continued to puke it's bile on her. The puking randomly stopped and the wolf flew off of her, behind the monster was Rose, holding a shotgun, still smoking from the bullet that it had just shot into the wolf's head. The vines retreated into the ground; Emma jumped up quickly, wiping the chunks of meat from her face._

_"Rose...What the hell was that?!"  
" A wolverine, they go around spreading the plague, they're sent from hell" Rose pointed her gun towards the road.  
"We need to go before more come"  
Emma shook in disgust. "So...why me?"  
"Emma, you're a mind shifter...probably the last one left, they're trying to turn you...kill you, but they don't know you're immune"  
Emma stopped walking. "How'd you know?"  
"If you weren't immune, you'd be infected at this very second"  
Wolverines, they're sent from hell, they wanna kill her...That's all that was running through her head. The car was destroyed...they had to finish the trip... but on foot and Emma needed to get a hold of her powers, they probably wouldn't survive a pack of those monsters..._


	8. 8- Ending

**Emma- Nicola Peltz**

_Clockwork~_

_Emma and Rose finally made it to the sanctuary. They were greeted at the front gate and were taken into the Nurses Station. A woman recognized Emma, she stuck a needle into her arm and drew blood.  
"Emma?"  
Emma looked up from her lap.  
"How'd you know my name?"  
"It's me, Mia...Mia Torres, from high school"  
Mia pulled the needle out of her arm and put the tubes of blood into a tray.  
"I need to speak with Cole, do you know where he is?"  
Mia pointed out the window to a large white building in the middle of the village.  
"He's in the capital building..."  
Emma stood from the chair. "Thank you"  
She met back up with Rose and headed to the Capital Building.  
"What Now?" Rose asked.  
"I go talk to this guy...Hopeful get answers..."_

_Emma walked through the large mahogany doors and stopped at the front desk.  
"Cole...I need to speak with him"  
The lady at the desk gave her a look. "He's busy"  
"I need to see him"  
"He's busy!"  
Emma slammed her fist on the desk. "Listen here Bitch, I walked here from London just to see him...He isn't busy!"  
A man dressed in a suit and tie appeared out of the elevator.  
"Ah, Emma...Nice to see you" He signaled her to follow him. "Rose, you can come too"  
Emma and Rose followed him into a small dim lit room that was filled with dust. He flicked on the overhead light and pulled out two chairs.  
"Please sit...I'll explain everything"  
The group sat down. "Explain" Emma said, there was no expression on her face.  
"You've probably found out that your a mind shifter"  
"Yeah..."  
"You have powers"  
"I'm aware"  
He went on and on about what was happening with her, what the wolverines were and what she needed to do.  
Something actually bothered to listen to something he said.  
"In a few days...It will rain blood and hell will be unleashed..."_

_"Rose...Did you hear what he said?" they were now sitting on the steps of the capital building, eating hot dogs.  
"About hell unleashing?  
"Yeah, think he was telling the truth?"  
"Who knows, Emma"  
Emma stood up and dusted her clothes off. "Fuck this...If the Devil is coming for us, I'll be ready"  
"Emma..."  
"Rose...If it means saving the world...or saving this place, then yeah...I'm doing it"_

_In the dead of night, the small town was in deep sleep. Emma and Rose shared a room, but outside; wild wolverines staggered around the sanctuary. Emma awoke and went outside for some air...she really needed it. She looked at the capital building and leaned up against the porch wall. She suddenly felt teeth clamp around her head; Emma was tossed up against a small wooden shack. She stumbled to her feet.  
"Fuck off Bitch, you don't belong here!"  
More wolverines gathered around her. The leader of the pack growled and flicked it's head towards the cabin Rose and Emma had shared. It burst into flames. Emma watched in horror as her friend burned to a crisp. The wolves watched the fire, it gave Emma an advantage. She ran into the shack and grabbed the chainsaw from a loose shelf.  
_

_Her hands tightly grasped the handle as she walked out of the small shack. The wolves were in the shape of a pentagram. Fire engulfed the wolves and In the middle of them, a hand reached out of the ground.  
"Shit...Hell decided to come sooner"  
The devilish creature finally dug it's way out of the ground...That face looked familiar...of course, It was Cole.  
"Cole?!"  
Cole was covered in blood and his fingers were now razor sharp bones and his skin was nearly gone.  
"Cole isn't here!" It spoke in a demonic voice. It quickly moved over to Emma and picked her up by the neck.  
She struggled until she found a pen in her pocket and stabbed it in the abominations eye. It screamed so loud that it broke out the windows of the cabins. It raised it's hand in the hair and flicked it's wrist. Suddenly the whole town was on fire. Emma looked around, trying to regain her breath.  
Cole turned his head towards Emma.  
"You whore...Looked what you did to me!" He did one more flick with his wrist and the blood rain started pouring down.  
Emma got back to her feet and grabbed the chainsaw. She let the blood soak her white nightgown.  
"You will die, everyone will die!"  
"No...The only one dying tonight is you" Emma used her free hand and made the cabin behind Cole smash him.  
She started the chainsaw as Cole slowly crawled out from under the ruble.  
"I will swallow your soul and this world!" He bent upward and reached out for Emma.  
"Swallow this motherfucker!"  
Emma takes the chainsaw, shoves it into Cole's stomach and starts going up towards his head.  
"DIE!" Emma screams as blood and guts spray from the abomination and splash against her skin.  
"FUCKER!" He yells as Emma takes the chainsaw through his head, splitting him in half.  
The blood rain and the fire suddenly stop. The cabins are still intact, like nothing ever happened. Rose came sprinting out of the house.  
"What happened?" She asked. Emma was drenched in blood and around the cabin was dead wolves. She dropped the chainsaw beside her. "Cole was the devil"  
Rose put her hand on Emma's shoulder. Cole started to sink back into the ground, both halves were bleeding and torn apart.  
"Back to hell Bitch"_


End file.
